


Our "Kids"

by Zorro_sci



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Robotic science family, Science Boyfriends, bot babies, it's SOOOO fluffy!, mother-hen!Bruce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 02:36:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1923543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorro_sci/pseuds/Zorro_sci
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony loves watching Bruce interact with his bots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our "Kids"

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [我们的“孩子”](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10414299) by [JeanTse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeanTse/pseuds/JeanTse)



> Written in response to http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/18271.html?thread=42441311&

Tony entered the lab to tell Bruce that dinner was ready. Really it was a strange role reversal. Usually Bruce was the one who had to drag Tony out of the lab to eat after he had lost all track of time.

He was about to announce that the team were waiting for them upstairs for the weekly team dinner when he stopped short. All three of his robots were crowded around his boyfriend vying for his attention, and he was affectionately stroking them, acknowledging them in turn as he spoke softly and gently to them.

Unable to stop himself from grinning, Tony decided to linger in the door a little longer and watch Bruce interact with his "kids."

"Thanks You, but I need a smaller test tube," he said as he gently took the large test tube from the bot.

When You returned a second later with another test tube Bruce turned and commented, "That'll work, thanks."

Butterfingers rolled off while Bruce was praising the other bot and returned with a mug of hot water on a saucer with a tea bag. He rolled right up behind Bruce and made a whistle noise to get his attention. Bruce turned around to acknowledge him, but Butterfingers was too close, and they bumped into each other. 

Butterfingers made a surprised, scared noise as hot water spilled across Bruce.

"I didn't see you there Butterfingers," Bruce said gently as he striped off his shirt and wiped the water off of himself with a nearby rag. He was clearly in pain from being burned, but doing his best not to show it.

The bot hung his claw in shame, but Bruce reached over and patted him reassuringly.

"I know it was an accident. I'm okay," he consoled. "Just try to be more careful next time."

Bruce was still consoling Butterfingers when DUM-E sprayed him in the face with a fire extinguisher.

"I'm not on fire, but thanks for trying to help DUM-E," Bruce said as he reached over to stroke DUM-E's chassis.

DUM-E cooed and moved closer to Bruce's hand. The other two appeared to get jealous and moved closer as well, enveloping Bruce in claws and other metallic moving parts. For his part, Bruce just smiled and put down what he was working on so he could pay attention to the horde of robots attempting to snuggle with him.

In the doorway, Tony barked out a laugh, unable to keep his presence a secret any longer.

"How long have you been there?" Bruce asked as he looked up from the attention-hungry machines.

"A while," Tony answered vaguely before smiling widely and adding, "you're incredibly sweet with the kids. Patient, understanding, encouraging."

"I'm just worried one of these times I won't be able to maintain control, and one of them will end up taking the wrath of the Other Guy," Bruce confessed.

"Pfffffft," Tony dismissed the idea with a sound that resembled an air mattress with a leak, and a wave of his hand. "Please, your eyes didn't even turn green when Butterfingers doused you in water that was a couple degrees short of boiling or when DUM-E sprayed you directly in the face with fire extinguisher foam. And you've never gotten even close to hulking out any of the other times they've done things like that to you either. Admit it, you love them and you couldn't smash them."

"The Other Guy might not agree," Bruce cautioned.

"The Other Guy is a bigger, angrier you," Tony shot back. "You love them, so he does too."

"Is there a reason you came down here?" Bruce asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"Oh yeah . . .dinner's ready. You've been down here for two days. You really need to come up and eat."

"Pot . . . Kettle."

"I'm delivering the message for the team. Speaking of which, we should both get up there before they send Clint through the air ducts to flush us out of the lab."

Bruce sighed, but followed Tony out of the lab.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bruce awoke on the lab floor covered in at least a dozen blankets. Under the blankets he was naked, and the ache through his body and the destruction around him were enough to tell him why he didn't remember anything after dinner.

"Hey Big Guy," Tony called as he tossed him some clothes.

"Did I hur . . . " Bruce started, but when he saw the frown on Tony's face he paused and said, "what happened?"

"Some guy who thought he was a tech genius sent an army of robots to attack the city," Tony explained.

"Why am I in the lab?"Bruce questioned groggily.

"That's the best part," Tony said with barely contained glee.

Bruce cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, but allowed Tony to continue.

"Not-such-a-genius sent some of his robots to try and hack JARVIS."

"How is that the best part?"

"Let me finish . . . Hulk followed them to the lab, and when one of the bucket of bolts shocked DUM-E for getting in its way, Hulk went berserk. He herded the kids into a corner and smashed all of the invading robots while yelling at them about not hurting his 'shiny babies.'"

"What?!?" 

"I told you! He _is_ you. You love the kids and so does he. He called them his babies!" Tony gloated.

A couple of despairing beeps echoed across the lab.

"Speaking of . . .the kids love you too. They were really worried after you de-hulked. They kept bringing you blankets. I think they thought you were cold . . . . "

"Is that why it looks like the linen closet threw up on me?"

"Yeah. After about a dozen blankets I figured that was enough, and you probably wouldn't want to wake up to a bunch of metallic claws in your face, so I sent them all back to their charging stations."

As if on cue, a trio of mechanical whines filled the room.

"DUM-E! Butterfingers! You! Come on," Bruce called.

The three bots hustled over to Bruce as fast as their treads would take them, and immediately began nuzzling him with their pincers.

"See? They love you!" 

"It's alright," Bruce cooed as he pet the trio of robots.

Tony smiled fondly. He knew most people considered him weird for calling You, Butterfingers, and DUM-E his kids. Pepper had always rolled her eyes, and so did the other Avengers. There were probably even people out there who would think that Tony should be committed because of it. They would say it was crazy, and that they were just "things," but Tony knew better. And so did Bruce. 

Watching Bruce treat his mechanical babies like they were his kids too was more than Tony could ever have hoped for. He knew when he watched Bruce with his boys that he had finally found a kindred spirit; a soulmate even.

"Okay, okay, okay guys. Daddy Bruce is tired. You saw that he's okay, now go back to your chargers you overgrown blenders," Tony chuckled as he realized Bruce was falling asleep among the sea of whirring mechanical arms.

"Daddy Bruce?" Bruce questioned wearily from his spot on the floor.

"Oh, come on Banner. Your greener self called them his babies. I think it's safe to say the kids have two daddies, and you're one of them," Tony mock scoffed.

"When did we become an old married couple with three large metallic children?" Bruce asked with a half smirk.

"A, we are not old. At least I'm not . . .so speak for yourself. B, the kids thing happened the moment you started babying the bots. I mean you totally spoil them. And C, we aren't married, but we can fix that if you'd like."

"Did you just propose marriage?"

"Yes?"

"Was that a question?"

"No? Look, Bruce, we were clearly made for each other . . .we both love science, we're able to trust each other despite all of the horrible crap that's happened in both of our lives, and even though I'm totally screwed up, you just get me. I love you. You don't ask me to be anyone but me, and you love me for it, and the icing on the cake is you love my robotic children. So, I guess, yeah, I am asking you. Bruce, will you marry me?"

Bruce blinked a few times in surprise. He stared at Tony, who started to visibly shift his weight between his feet.

"Bruce, you're making me nervous here. Will you please answer me?" Tony prodded.

"Yes. I'll marry you."

"Great! Did you hear that kids? Daddy and Daddy Bruce are getting married . . . .oh! We should have one of the kids be the ring bearer! He could carry the rings, but wait he would probably drop them, so maybe we could do the whole rings on a pillow thing so he would have more to hold on to . . .safer . . .though I suppose the rings could fall off of the pillow, but still . . . " Tony enthused at breakneck speed.

"How are you going to pick which one?" Bruce asked as he shakily got to his feet. "Besides, if you pick one the other two will get jealous. If we're going to have one of them in the wedding they all should be in it. We could have a giant pillow with the rings tied to it that the three of them bring down the aisle together . . . Or they could be groomsmen, or ushers . . ."

"Look at you . . .trying to be all fair and stop the kids from fighting," Tony gushed as he moved to Bruce's side to help keep him upright as they made their way toward the door.

"Well, we shouldn't pick favorites. It's not right," Bruce countered.

"You know that D . . . . " Tony started.

"We don't have favorites," Bruce cut him off.

"Whatever you say . . . "

"I say I need to get to bed."

"Good idea. We are engaged after all," Tony said lasciviously with a suggestive eyebrow raise.

"Not tonight . . .just de-Hulked . . .remember?" Bruce countered.

"Fine," Tony sighed. "But tomorrow we are _so_ having hot engagement sex. I want you to pound me into every surface in the bedroom, the living room, and maybe the lab too."

"Tony! We are not having sex in the lab; the kids would see! We shouldn't even be talking about this in front of them," Bruce scolded as the pair made their way through the lab door and headed toward the elevator.

"You're such a mother hen. I might have built them . . .but they are _so_ your babies," Tony teased.

"You love me for it," Bruce countered.

"Yeah, I do," Tony said as he leaned in for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations: [中文](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10414299)


End file.
